Steve Truitt is an award-winning science fiction author, actor, producer, and musician. He received the prestigious Golden Eagle Award for his documentary series on Discovery. Steve's a space enthusiast and NASA history buff. He holds the unique record of having met five moonwalkers. Beyond his creative endeavors, Steve is also a coach and motivational speaker, recognized for his impactful work with the Best Motivational Book of the Year award for "Stop Waiting for Permission". Steve brings a wealth of experience and insight to discussions on AI and the future of work.

In this conversation, we discuss 

• How Steve got started in media and entertainment before branching out to other industries
• Industries being most impacted by AI
• The tricky ethics of AI and how to harness it as a tool that does more good than harm
• Why humanity is so fickle and prone to conflict 
• How leaders can stop the spread of misinformation with AI and what prevents them from doing so 
• Much more

Resources

Get Steve’s book, Mindset Chronicles

Additional episode you’ll enjoy 

AI fun fact 

Chris Herringshaw is the Chief Technology Officer at Janus Henderson Investors, overseeing all technology aspects and serving on the Executive Committee. With over 15 years at Citadel Investment Group, he led Global Infrastructure Technology as Managing Director. Chris founded Quova, now part of NuStar, and held roles including Vice President of Engineering and CTO. He holds a BS in computer systems engineering from the University of Michigan, and actively contributes to shaping technology's future through advisory roles and industry forums. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Venturing from entrepreneur to an established company.
• Chris Herringshaw's background in technology, including his experience at Janus Henderson Investors and as a CTO at venture-backed startups.
• How FinTech companies leverage the power of AI while mitigating risks associated with its unpredictable nature.
• Why human decision making still trumps AI and algorithmic based trading decisions in certain contexts.
• Predictions on where AI is headed in the next 12 months.
• The role of AI governance in ensuring the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence.

Resource

Previous episode about an AI app platform that’s growing faster than OpenAI 

Learn more about Janus Henderson 

decoder.com/responsible-ai-now-has-an-iso-standard/#google_vignette">AI fun fact article

Dmitry Shapiro  is a serial entrepreneur who most recently founded and is the CEO of YouAi and the popular AI app-builder MindStudio. He has a bold vision to help you index your mind which we unpack in today's conversation. Previously, Dmitry founded and led GoMeta and  created the video sharing site Veoh in 2005 which  launched a few months after YouTube. Dmitry served as the CTO at MySpace before moving on to Google where was a Group Product Manager working on social graph, identity, and content discovery. Dmitry received his BS in EE from Georgia Tech.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The New York Times versus OpenAI and Microsoft copyright lawsuit and its implications for AI.
• The challenges and stakes for publishers when facing AI applications using copyrighted material.
• Dmitry Shapiro's entrepreneurial journey and the vision behind MindStudio.
• The impact of generative AI on computing and its potential for revolutionizing work and home environments.
• Legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI, copyright, and fair use.
• The intersection of technology, venture capital, and innovation in shaping the future of AI applications.

Additional resources 

• Another episode to enjoy 
• Fun fact article 

As the Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, Suresh leads the product, engineering, design, and development teams that deliver innovative and scalable solutions for data science and analytics. He is also responsible for product pricing, packaging, and PLG strategies. Over the past 3 years, Alteryx has transformed into an analytics platform with market-leading end-to-end analytics solutions, covering the entire gamut of users from analysts to data engineers, developers, and data scientists.

With over 20 years of experience in the SaaS industry, Suresh has a proven track record of driving growth, customer satisfaction, and market leadership for cloud-based platforms and products.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The ongoing debate between AI guardrails and user autonomy, referencing Mark Gimein's "spicy mayo problem" as a case study.
• Suresh Vittal's background, journey through analytics and AI, and his role as Chief Product Officer at Alteryx.
• Alteryx's mission of "analytics for all" and their focus on empowering users across technical and non-technical roles in data analytics.
• The integration of generative AI features into Alteryx's platform to simplify complex workflows and enhance collaboration among data professionals.
• Insights into AI-first data management strategies and the evolving landscape of AI-driven tools in the future of work.
• The importance of governance and transparency in AI-powered analytics, ensuring clarity and understanding across complex data workflows for improved decision-making.

Additional resources: 

Suresh’s LinkedIn page

Related episode you might enjoy about responsible AI use

AI fun fact article in the Atlantic 

Ben Kus is the chief technology officer at Box, where he’s responsible for developing Box's technology vision and strategy.  Previously, Ben was the VP of product management at Box. Before joining Box, he was the co founder and CTO of Subspace, an enterprise security solution that was acquired by Box. 

Ben’s held various leadership positions, including chief architect for IBM and senior director of technology for BigFix.  

What we discuss:

• The role of generative AI in enhancing productivity and unlocking new use cases within enterprises, focusing on content management.
• Ben shares insights into Box's innovative culture and compares it to other companies like IBM, highlighting the company's approach to technology and innovation.
• The discussion touches on responsible AI use, regulatory considerations, and Box's commitment to transparency and compliance.
• Ben addresses concerns about AI's impact on jobs, emphasizing AI's role in augmenting productivity rather than replacing human jobs.
• Future trends in AI, including personalized AI assistance and potential advancements in AI capabilities, are explored.
• The conversation ends with a fun anecdote about Box's CEO, Aaron Levie, known for his magic tricks and the company's unique culture of bringing your own self to work.

Additional resources

• Ben’s LinkedIn 
• Other episodes you might enjoy about the future of Media & AI
• Fun fact: how much energy is required to create an image with generative AI? 

Neil Mandt is a Hollywood entrepreneur, a five-time Emmy winner, and producer of the 2022 Golden Globes.  A pioneer in AR and VR technology, and a pro sports owner, since getting his start in Hollywood at age 10, there's almost no award he hasn't received, and almost no new form of media he hasn't tested and improved. 

What we cover

• In this conversation, Neil shares insights into the evolving landscape of Hollywood and the role of AI in content creation and consumption.
• Neil discusses the potential of AI to democratize content creation, enabling individuals to produce high-quality movies and TV series with minimal resources.
• We delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the entertainment industry, including the gamification of user engagement and personalized content experiences.
• Neil emphasizes the importance of embracing AI tools for content creators to stay competitive and adapt to changing consumer preferences.
• Neil highlights the transformative potential of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies in enhancing the content consumption experience.
• Neil provides valuable insights into the skills required for content producers to thrive in a future where AI-driven, interactive storytelling becomes the norm.
• And much more.

Additional resources

• Neil’s site — Neilmandt.com 
• Course on making it in media and entertainment — https://neilmandt.com/course
• Other episodes you might enjoy — https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/14689727-babak-hodjat-cto-of-ai-at-cognizant-on-creating-siri-and-the-evolution-of-ai

Babak is the CTO of AI at Cognizant, the 34 billion market cap provider of tech services with more than 350, 000 global employees. He's the former co-founder and CEO of Sentient, a business responsible for the core technology behind the world's largest distributed artificial intelligence system. Before co-founding Sentient, Babak co-founded and was the CTO and a board member of Dejima where he developed the foundational technology that ultimately became Apple's Siri. 

He's the primary inventor of Dejima's patented technology. Babak has 31 granted or pending patents, is a published author, and is one of the most respected thought leaders in AI.  He holds a PhD in machine intelligence from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan. 

In our conversation, we discuss: 

• The recent executive order on AI regulation issued by the Biden administration, exploring its key themes such as the development of a national registry for foundational large language models and safety test result sharing by vendors.
• Babak shares insights into the challenges and engineering intricacies involved in developing and scaling AI systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding the fundamental differences between large language models and human intelligence.
• The concept of responsible AI and the urgent need for defining unambiguous ethical standards, with Babak expressing concerns about AI potentially being used for destructive or malicious purposes in the wrong hands.
• Babak's experience as a pioneer in developing foundational technologies for Siri
• The limitations and expectations surrounding large language models shed light on the challenges of fine-tuning and reinforcing these models, as well as the misconceptions related to their learning capabilities during interactions.
• The concept of active ontology and its role in the early development of Siri, highlights the revolutionary approach that focused on modeling functionality and ontology first, offering insights into the evolution of natural language technology over the past 25 years.

Additional resources

• Babak's LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/babakhodjat/
• Another episode you might enjoy — https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/14341487-navrina-singh-founder-ceo-of-credo-ai-discusses-ai-governance-ethics

Richie Cotton and his co-host Adel have published over 150 episodes of the DataFramed podcast with some amazing guests. Richie's also a data evangelist for  DataCamp and a data scientist by training. He helps train DataCamp students and has been instrumental in the company's success. DataCamp has trained data teams at more than 2,500 companies, including 80 percent of the Fortune 100. Richie has degrees in Math from the University of Warwick and the University of York. 

In our conversation, we discuss: 

• The Evolving Role of Data Scientists: Richie Cotton shares insights into the changing landscape of data science and how the role of data scientists is expected to transform in the next decade, emphasizing the increasing accessibility of powerful tools.
• Ethical Considerations in AI: we delve into the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, exploring the responsibility of data scientists and AI practitioners in addressing issues such as bias, transparency, and privacy in their work.
• Future Skills for Data Scientists: Richie discusses the essential technical skills for data scientists, including the ongoing debate between Python and R, and highlights the importance of staying adaptable as technology evolves.
• AI's Impact on Business Operations: we explore the potential impact of AI on various industries, focusing on business operations and efficiency, providing valuable insights for professionals looking to harness AI for strategic advantages.
• Predictions for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): Richie shares intriguing perspectives on the timeline for achieving artificial general intelligence, citing predictions that AGI might become a reality in the 2030s and discussing the potential implications of such advancements.
• Teaching and Learning Data Science at Scale: we shed light on Richie's experience at DataCamp, where he has been instrumental in teaching data science to hundreds of thousands of individuals, highlighting the platform's mission to make data science education accessible globally.

Additional resources

• Listen to Richie’s podcast — https://www.datacamp.com/podcast
• Other episodes you might enjoy — https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/14341487-navrina-singh-founder-ceo-of-credo-ai-discusses-ai-governance-ethics

Matt Martin is on a mission to help the world make time for what matters. He founded Clockwise in 2016 to fix the time problem.

Since then, he and the team have raised 76 million from exceptional investors, including Greylock, Cotu, Excel, Bain, and a common investor, the Slack Fund.  More than 15, 000 organizations run Clockwise. Matt was also an engineering leader at Relate IQ before Salesforce acquired it for $390 million in 2014.

In our conversation, we discuss: 

• Interesting ways to improve your productivity
• New developments in GPT-4 supporting productivity
• Challenges of time management and the impact of AI in reshaping scheduling practices, emphasizing the importance of tools like Clockwise in optimizing work schedules.
• Lesson in entrepreneurship from Matt
• How AI can be leveraged to make your work more fulfilling
• Much more

Prasad Kawthekar is the Co-Founder & CEO of Dashworks, an all-in-one AI search assistant. It enables users to find any document, message, or email and to accelerate a team's productivity. With over 40+ integrations, Dashworks enables teams to find and organize their internal knowledge across apps from one place and leverage their collective expertise.

In our conversation, we discuss: 

• The historical evolution of enterprise search tools
• The challenges to enterprise search adoption: such as API integration complexities persist, hindering widespread adoption
• The role of Generative AI in search
• Limitations of current AI models and what the future holds for them.
• What are some considerations for future AI development?
• The potential of retrieval-augmented generative AI (RAG) in providing accurate and factual responses, while also acknowledging its limitations and potential for further evolution

Additional resources: 

• Visit Dashworks: https://www.dashworks.ai/
• Another episode you might like: https://aiandthefutureofwork.buzzsprout.com/520474/14464391-dr-eric-siegel-founder-of-machine-learning-week-on-6-steps-to-usher-in-successful-ml-projects